(Rumour) Virtanen on the trade block

[EternalCanuckFan]

This is purely armchair GM-ing but I wonder if there could be a deal with Carolina. 

 

They have taken in a reclamation project before (Nino Neiderreiter) and they have several middle 6 forwards who are free agents this offseason.  Adding a guy like Virtanen who is cost controlled next year and who would still be under team control as a RFA at the end of this contract might be attractive.  He's only one season removed from 18G 18A.

 

Not sure who the Canucks would really want in return.  Maybe Fleury?  The Canucks would presumably have to protect him in the Expansion Draft but I assume the team is fine with exposing Myers (they really don't have that many D to protect).  There would need to be some maneuvering for the cap but it could work.

 

I wonder if a package deal could be made involving Sutter (with retention) and Virtanen with Fleury and probably another contract coming back to the Canucks.  Dzingle seems like a contract that could come back to make things work and which wouldn't really hurt the Canucks since he's a UFA at the end of this season.

 

Brindamour moves around his forwards a lot with guys like Foegele and McGinn regularly moving up and down the line-up.  It might not be a bad fit for Virtanen and Carolina might be a much better market for him.

 

At this point of the season, it's sad to say but the Canucks would probably have to nearly run the table to make the playoffs.  While a rebuild might not be warranted, I'm for management (whether that's Benning & Co. or another group) trying to sell players to recoup assets.  If Virtanen is on his way out, then I don't see why the team should not also be considering moving out Sutter, Pearson, etc as rentals.

 

I don't know what's going on in the room but everything feels dysfunctional at the moment from players, to coaching to management.  Last night was a better effort but the team just doesn't look good.  They have had a few bright spots (e.g. the game against the Jets after playing the Senators).  If the departures of Markstrom, Tanev, etc. really impacted the room this bad, then it certainly looks like management miscalculated the young core's ability to take on the leadership mantle but I think it's also an indictment on the remaining leadership from the young core.  For the young guys like Pettersson and Hughes, this will have to be a growing experience - they are the future of the team.  For older guys like Miller and Myers, there are question marks that only their play can answer moving forward.  For management and coaching, it's starting to look like this could really cost them their jobs.

[Chris12345]

32 minutes ago, DeNiro said:

Agreed.

 

I don’t wanna see any young players traded until we get a new coach in.

 

I think Green has done more harm than good to these young guys confidence. Jake doesn’t even know how to play anymore.

I don't get why we don't play the snot out of these guys.  I get Jake has problems but what's the worst thing that happens? We lose a little bit worse?

 

Play him let him work through the kinks.

[DeNiro]

1 minute ago, Chris12345 said:

I don't get why we don't play the snot out of these guys.  I get Jake has problems but what's the worst thing that happens? We lose a little bit worse?

 

Play him let him work through the kinks.

Green thinks the vets are the key to winning and he’s failing miserably.

 

I agree, if we’re gonna lose at least have the young guys get some development. You can’t bubble wrap these guys. Part of learning how to win comes from losing and making mistakes.

[Chris12345]

1 minute ago, DeNiro said:

Green thinks the vets are the key to winning and he’s failing miserably.

 

I agree, if we’re gonna lose at least have the young guys get some development. You can’t bubble wrap these guys. Part of learning how to win comes from losing and making mistakes.

Exactly. I don't want to lose but if we are going to lose take advantage of it. Develop your guys. Obviously you need some vets as leaders but this isn't game 7 here and there's no money on the line to boot!

[oldnews]

14 hours ago, Elias Pettersson said:

I would agree that Jenner and Paul would be better fits for this team and address the issue we have on the 3rd line.  Nothing wrong with adding a DeBrusk to the lineup though.  I think he adds more value than Virtanen at this point and it would allow Pearson to slide down to the 3rd line to make that more of the shutdown line and ease up on BO's defensive minutes.  However, if we could somehow flip Virtanen and Gaudette for Nick Paul or Boone Jenner that would be a great deal for Vancouver.  Even Logan Brown has more upside than either Virtanen or Gaudette as his size would keep him in the NHL at the very least in the bottom 6.

those are just a couple of my personal 'favorite' targets.... Jenner, imo has been subjected to the Tortorella-effect devaluation, with misleading outcomes (which doesn't necessarily mean his market value would be low - but potentially.  Nick Paul - it may be getting to late to act on acquiring him - at least at a reasonable value.

 

My main point here is that a top 6 or bust, small to middleweight winger - isn't necessarily a team need - actually,  I'd consider that near or at the bottom of a list of team needs.   If I'm spending young assets - I want a RHD, or a natural center, and if they're acquiring a winger - they already have EP, Boeser and Hoglander in the top 6.   Imo whether a forward is for the 2nd line, or the 3rd - I want some heaviness to their game, ideally at least a natural center (winger conversion is ok, but with a natural centers' development/game, and some versatility - so they have value regardless of where they play in the middle or bottom six (and having Podkolzin in cue also impacts perceived team need imo.   I may really like Sven Baertschi as well, but even had he not suffered concussions, and having a good skillset, particularly once he started applying himself, is he the type of player that complements a Horvat Hoglander pair on the 2nd line?  I'd look for a different type of winger there.  I really like some of the aspect of DeBrusk's game - he has good speed, he can finish, and in spite of relatively poor/weak grit outcomes, his game is a bit grittier than those may indicate - but nevertheless, he wouldn't be a target - and additionally when it comes to his contract/terms, they reflect production on a contending 2nd  line - in other words, he's at market value - when I think this team needs to target guys that are less costly and yet to emerge.  That is the real value of solid pro-scouting - to identify guys that will uptick.

[86Viking]

30 minutes ago, oldnews said:

 

that you believe Benning had no intention of re-signing Toffoli when that deal was made....shows you haven't changed a whiff.

 

welcome  back Mr Sunshine.

he ran out of time...lamest excuse I have ever heard in my life, should have been fired the next day making that comment imo. GM's all had months to figure their off season out, JB had all his efforts focused on OEL and at the end maybe Marky. Didn't even give Tanev an offer before FA opened or Toff...maybe they would have signed.

 

Glass is half full or half empty...either way whats done is done, if I was the GM I would remove the coach before trading youngish players away...we should be trading expiring contracts out of veteran guys or a guy like Rooster who has an additional year

[oldnews]

23 minutes ago, Canuckster86 said:

he ran out of time...lamest excuse I have ever heard in my life, should have been fired the next day making that comment imo. GM's all had months to figure their off season out, JB had all his efforts focused on OEL and at the end maybe Marky. Didn't even give Tanev an offer before FA opened or Toff...maybe they would have signed.

 

Glass is half full or half empty...either way whats done is done, if I was the GM I would remove the coach before trading youngish players away...we should be trading expiring contracts out of veteran guys or a guy like Rooster who has an additional year

no 'excuse' necessary - it was the right decision - and perhaps a polite way of saying we decided it's time to keep a spot open for Hoglander -  as opposed to 'he wasn't in our plans'

 

I honestly could not care less about the sound bites that people elect to dwell upon - the bottom line for me - I would have made the same decision - regardless of 'time'.

I also would have signed Tanev - but the whole OEL monkey wrench - was really a package deal - which included re-signing Markstrom.

 

And again, for me the truly underlying irony here - is that in the end the team elected the transition course instead of 'speeding it up' - something virtually the entire market has been whining about.  So be careful what you wish for Vancouver - because you got what you've been wishing for all along - and  now - the laughable contradiction is to listen to the loudest chorus of #proper-rethingers whine about not -re-signing veterans  - and instead focusing on the long game - which is the actual young core's trajectory - including Demko's.    Seriously little violins material where the smarmies and twittiots are concerned.

[VegasCanuck]

56 minutes ago, Chris12345 said:

I don't get why we don't play the snot out of these guys.  I get Jake has problems but what's the worst thing that happens? We lose a little bit worse?

 

Play him let him work through the kinks.

The problem is, he looks disinterested out there already. He's one of the fastest guys in the NHL. When was the last time you saw him try and beat anyone with that speed, or use it to drive to the net?

[PhillipBlunt]

20 minutes ago, VegasCanuck said:

The problem is, he looks disinterested out there already. He's one of the fastest guys in the NHL. When was the last time you saw him try and beat anyone with that speed, or use it to drive to the net?

Most of the team looks disinterested out there these days. 

[Battlemonger]

Virt and Gaudette for Toffoli? Wait - we turned that down just a few months ago.

[D-Money]

Although I’m far from a fan of Virtanen, I also think it would be foolish to move him with the coach likely leaving soon. He’s been playing for Green for YEARS.

 

Maybe a fresh start is just the jolt he needs? We’ve gone this far, and his value is almost zero. No sense trading him and watching him get the fresh start somewhere else, with nothing to show for it but a 4th round pick.

 

[DSVII]

2 hours ago, DeNiro said:

Green thinks the vets are the key to winning and he’s failing miserably.

 

I agree, if we’re gonna lose at least have the young guys get some development. You can’t bubble wrap these guys. Part of learning how to win comes from losing and making mistakes.

Sometimes it feels like Green would rather have a goal scored on the ice with Beagle and Sutter than give our young guns more chances. 

[N4ZZY]

I wonder if Gallant could get more out of Virtanen than Green could during his time here. 

 

Maybe a coaching change for Jake would help too. 

 

[combover]

5 hours ago, gurn said:

June 22 2019 Canucks acquire Francis Perron and a  2019 7th round pick

January 17, 2019 Canucks acquire  Luke Schenn and a 2020 7th round pick

January 2  2019 Canucks acquire McKenna, Pyatt and a 2019  6th round pick

March 1/2017 Canucks acquire Goldobin and a conditional 2017 4th round pick

May 25 2016 Canucks acquire Gudbranson and a 2016 5th round pick

 

That is just the first page, all under JB as GM, so just wth are you talking about?

All criticism, low on facts. Your posts are Fake News.

 

http://www.nhltradetracker.com/user/trade_list_by_team/Vancouver_Canucks/1

Hilarious 7th round picks coming in as 2-5th are going out. 
yeah most rebuilding teams gm do it through 7th round picks. 
funny you didn’t post all the ones going out more than any gm in franchise history... 

only at total idiot uses the term fake news just like the guy who created it. 

So if we trade Jake for a prospect that ll never play and a 7th he did good . lol. 
If anything you just proved how incompetent he is with that list. so thanks. 
 

[DeNiro]

1 hour ago, D-Money said:

Although I’m far from a fan of Virtanen, I also think it would be foolish to move him with the coach likely leaving soon. He’s been playing for Green for YEARS.

 

Maybe a fresh start is just the jolt he needs? We’ve gone this far, and his value is almost zero. No sense trading him and watching him get the fresh start somewhere else, with nothing to show for it but a 4th round pick.

 

Exactly.

 

And he’s not the only one playing poorly under Green.

 

Bring in some good X’s and O’s coaches to get these guys back on track. Then management can determine who stays and who goes.

[Gurn]

9 minutes ago, combover said:

Hilarious 7th round picks coming in as 2-5th are going out. 
yeah most rebuilding teams gm do it through 7th round picks. 
funny you didn’t post all the ones going out more than any gm in franchise history... 

only at total idiot uses the term fake news just like the guy who created it. 

So if we trade Jake for a prospect that ll never play and a 7th he did good . lol. 
If anything you just proved how incompetent he is with that list. so thanks. 
 

What I just proved is that you were wrong,

Accept it.

don't be moving the goal posts now.

[PhillipBlunt]

2 hours ago, D-Money said:

Although I’m far from a fan of Virtanen, I also think it would be foolish to move him with the coach likely leaving soon. He’s been playing for Green for YEARS.

 

Maybe a fresh start is just the jolt he needs? We’ve gone this far, and his value is almost zero. No sense trading him and watching him get the fresh start somewhere else, with nothing to show for it but a 4th round pick.

 

Exactly. How would he do under a seasoned NHL coach? The Canucks have gone with Desjardins and Green, and both are looking incapable of managing an NHL team when things go south. When the season ends, and the house cleaning begins, hopefully the Aquilinis realize that the team needs proven, experienced and seasoned personnel in the GM and coaching staff. This could go a long way towards developing players. Hearing that Virtanen, Gaudette, and possibly Miller are all potential options for trade shows how Benning is operating out of desperation now. Leave the kids be for now. Let the new guys make the decisions, not the ones slowly losing grasp on the team on a whole. 

[bishopshodan]

57 minutes ago, combover said:

only at total idiot uses the term fake news just like the guy who created it. 

Norm Macdonald is alright. 

[combover]

1 hour ago, gurn said:

What I just proved is that you were wrong,

Accept it.

don't be moving the goal posts now.

yeah you didnt prove anything

He doesn’t trade for picks 

 

I’ll give you he throws in picks (like a 5th) 

and get a crappy pick back (like a 7th) but that’s kinda all you proved. 
So you kinda right and  he’s even worse when you look at that. 

 

Edited February 9, 2021 by combover

[Gurn]

17 minutes ago, combover said:

yeah you didnt prove anything

He doesn’t trade for picks 

 

I’ll give you he throws in picks (like a 5th) 

and get a crappy pick back (like a 7th) but that’s kinda all you proved. 
So you kinda right and  he’s even worse when you look at that. 

 

Keep moving those goal posts, it's good exercise.